Tow bar



S. MYLlE TOW BAR Feba 14, 1950 Filed March 24, 1947 fan extensible tow bar of 'wherein thereareprovided clamp units at oppo- ,f-site ends, oneof .whichisdesigned .to oscillate on :a horizontal axis and 'the otherbeing designed Patented Feb. 14, 1950 umm-ED STAT-gs TENT .caprice 'TOW BAR SalvatoreMylie, Eureka, f'Calif. App1icat0nlMarch.24, 1947.,Serial No."7.3.6,.645

Claim. (01. 280--33.14')

length' and-rigidly coupledbetween adjacent front and 4rear bumpers ofv two-motor vvehicles 4placed =one in front of' the other, whereby `the -forward -vehiclemay lbe\able-to draw or tow the -rear 'vehicle lsafely and without-danger of damaging l either vehicle 'by dih'e zsame corningtogetherI and yalsow'ithout 'danger of damaging lthe transmission or other parts of '.th'eitowing machine.

the fdriving mechanism-roi -`Another Vobject'of V'tl'leinvention is to provide the characterfdescribe'd arxertical'axisitherebmpro- `viding for right and left turns oithezdraft orztow vvehicle and also ,iprovidingior .anyrelative up and down movement between the vehicles.

The invention will be bestr;understoodirom:a consideration of .the following-:detailed.description" taken in connection .withzhefaccompanying drawing forrninga Hpart. o'ff-.thespecicatiomuwith theV understanding,..however, fthatithe invention is not to be understood aslixnited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious 'inodications will-*occur to a personf'skilled in theart.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation oi a tow bar constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same shortened or collapsed whereby it may be conveniently carried in the motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the same, a portion of one unit being broken away.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the tow bar showing the same extended to its full length and showing in dotted outline the manner in which the adjacent bumpers of two cars are secured to the clamps of the tow bar.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the bar extended as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the bar which is generally designated Ill, comprises a section II which is tubular throughout'themajor portion of'itslength, and asection I2 which .is of solid bar form and maya-beof circular cross'section or "of polygonal *cross section asmay be desired.

The outer end of the `solid section -I"2 ofthe tow bai-1 is slotted to form the Aspacedears I3 and between these ears is pivotally positioned a single ear I forming angintegrakpartof -a clamp which is generally designated-I5. rThis-clampI--colfnprises an inner jportion- I6 which is arcuate in cross section. and denes s1ghtly-less thanfhalf acircle. =0nelongitudinaledge'of the arcuate portion I'E ofi-theclamp I5 isintegral.withthe outerportiongl'l which isinfthe forrnof-a vplate which v.extends ',acrossrthe-concave Iforward side of the part I61as'shown-inEigures v1, `3 and 4. This kplate `Il Ahas a threaded "aperture I3 which may be'alignedwith'the-centerofthe bar section I2 .andthreaded inifthis'aperture Lis the clamp screw I9 which may be extendedinwardlytoward the Aconca-ve-surface'of tha-part I5.

`Therbar section I2f-has two transverse `apertures A2li and-2I and-these are adapted `to Vbe brought -into VAalignment with theopenings'iZZ which are Aformed throng-hand aligned :transversely 0f theend ofrthetubular --section-il IY-into which the section-I2 isslidablyfextended.

Adaptedor-V extensionthroughthe transverselyaligned opening v2-2is 'a' screworbolt-23which is threaded for threaded engagementinone ofwthe openings'22. "This-=screw=orbolt isalso adapted to pass `freely through fonefof" the-'openings23and 2 I- of the barsection l I2. '.Thus itwillfbe seenfthat when thebar sectionIiZ-is fullyextended into Athe tubular section I-I #the-opening# Ie-will be'fbrought into alignmentwithJthefopeningsvZfZ solthat the bolt or screw 23 may be passed through the opening 2l and thus secure the two sections of the tow bar in folded or collapsed relation. When the tow bar is to be used the screw 23 is removed and the section I2 is drawn outwardly until the opening 20 is brought into alignment with the openings 22 whereupon the screw 23 is inserted as shown in Figure 4 and the bar is ready for use. The end of the bar section Il opposite from the open end in which the bar I2 is inserted, is solid as shown in Figure 4 and this solid end is slightly reduced in diameter and formed to provide the two spaced ears 24. These ears 24 are provided with transverse aligned apertures 25 and correspondingly the ears I3 are provided with transverse aligned apertures 26, the aligned apertures 25 and those apertures 26 formed through the ears I3 being designed respectively to receive bolts 21 and 23.

Since the ear I4 of the Vclamp I5 is also apertured as indicated at 29 the bolt 28 functions as a pivot for the clamp I5 since it passes through the aperture 29 as shown in Figure 5.

The numeral 30 designates a clamp unit of the same form as the clamp I5. This clamp unit comprises the inner arcuate portion 3| with which is integrally formed the single hinge or pivot ear 32 which positions between the spaced ears 24 and is apertured as indicated at 33 to have the bolt 2'I pass therethrough. By this means the clamp 30 is pivotally attached to the draw bar.

The clamp 30 also includes the plate -portion 3-4 which is integral with one edge of the arcuate portion 3l and extends across .the concave face of the latter portion. This plate portion 34 carries the clamp screw 35 Which is threaded through the aperture 36 in the plate 34 and is directed on the longitudinal center of the tow bar.

It will be readily seen upon examination of the gures of the drawing that the apertures 20 and 2| formed through the bar section I2 are at right angles to the pivot bolt 28. Accordingly when the bolt or screw 23 is extended through one of the openings 2U or ZI to couple the two sections of the tow bar together, the pivot bolt 28 will be at right angles to the bolt 27.

The numerals 38 and 39 designate dotted outline representations of a cross section of a motor vehicle bumper. Such bumpers are usually of arcuate cross section and accordingly as will be readily apparent the bumper is adapted to position in and engage against the concave inner face of the arcuate portion of a, clamp. It will be accordingly readily understood that in the use of the present device one clamp, such, for example, as the clamp I5 will be engaged with the rear bumper of the front one of two cars positioned one behind the other while the other clamp 30 will be engaged with the front bumper of the rear car. The screws I9 and 36 are extended inwardly toward the adjacent bumpers and will secure the bumpers in the concave portions of the adjacent curved clamp plates. Thus it will be apparent that a car may draw or tow another one and the cars will be at all times maintained in properly spaced relation so that it will be impossible for the rear car to run up onto the forward car and cause any damage. Also by reason of the fact that there is a rigid connection between the cars no unusual jerks or sudden pulls will be applied to the front car and no damage to the differential or transmission mechanism will result such as might result if a flexible tow rope were being employed.

By providing the extensible bar' a suicient space can be maintained between two cars to allow for proper flexibility of the connection so that the front car can turn and danger of the rear part of the front or tow car striking the forward part of the rear car is eliminated.

When the tow bar is not in use the bolt or screw 23 is removed and the section I2 is pushed or moved into the tubular section II whereupon the bolt or screw 23 is replaced to extend through the opening 2I and thus hold the parts of the tow bar together with the bar in shortened relation convenient for storage under a seat or in a tool compartment of a vehicle.

I claim:

A tow bar of rigid form comprising two relatively long bar sections adjustably coupled together for longitudinal lengthening and shortening, a clamp unit coupled to each of the remote ends of the two bar sections, one of said clamp units being pivoted for free turning relative to the bar on a vertical axis and the other clamp unit being pivoted for free turning relative to the bar on a horizontal axis, that clamp unit which turns on the vertical axis comprising a longitudinally arcuate member, a long plate joined at one end to an end of the arcuate member to extending across the concave side thereof and a clamp screw threaded through the plate toward the arcuate member, the length of the arcuate member and plate being in the same direction as the pivot axis, and the other clamp comprising a longitudinally arcuate member, a long plate attached at one end to an end of the arcuate member and extending across the concave side thereof and a clamp screw threaded through the plate toward the arcuate member, the length of the arcuate member and plate of the said other clamp being transverse to the pivot axis thereof.

SALVATORE MYLIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS record in the 

